Lamar Jackson Tells Tom Brady 'That Chip Is Still on My Shoulder'
Lamar Jackson spoke with Tom Brady and Jim Gray on the “Let’s Go” podcast!” and made it clear that even though he has likely secured his second MVP award, he is still motivated to prove his doubters wrong.
"I definitely do have that chip on my shoulder," Jackson said. "I haven't accomplished what I wanted to yet, so that's why that chip is still on my shoulder. I want that Super Bowl. That's the accolade that I really want so bad. … I feel like we have the team to do it. We have the guys in the building, coaching staff, training staff, equipment guys, we got everything we need right now."
Jackson said he hears the noise about his 1-3 record in the playoffs and he's focused on destroying that narrative.
When asked how he was going to handle the bye week before the Ravens host a divisional round playoff game, Jackson said: "Just focus on whoever our opponent is; just study them like there's no tomorrow. Because this year is different. People are always talking about the playoff record or whatever people are always talking about, that's going to be different. I'm ready. I'm really excited to be in the postseason again and healthy."
Jackson told Brady that his favorite moment of the seven-time Super Bowl champion's career was when he led the New England Patriots over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI after trailing 28-3. Brady returned the compliment.
"I feel that way watching you play. I don't think you're ever out of it," Brady said. "You've got the ability to inspire your teammates by your action, by your words, and your humility, and your toughness, and your courage. Not only your skill set – everybody can see that. To me, it's your intangibles that make you special. You're never gonna lose that. You just do more of that and you're gonna have incredible success. I love seeing it, man. Keep it up."
Ravens Coaches, Executive Drawing Interest From Teams With Job Openings
With the Ravens' having the best record in the league and a top-[add]five unit on offense and defense, it was a foregone conclusion that members of their staff would be in demand this hiring cycle.
According to various reports:
- The Carolina Panthers have requested interviews with Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald and Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken for their head coach job, and Vice President of Football Operations Nick Matteo for their general manager opening General Manager job.
- The Los Angeles Chargers have requested an interview with Monken for their head coach job.
- The Washington Commanders have requested interviews with Macdonald and Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach Anthony Weaver for their head coach job.
It's obvious from the Ravens' play and other teams' interest in their personnel that Head Coach John Harbaugh and General Manager Eric DeCosta have done a fantastic job of hiring quality individuals.
Baltimore Banner Hands Out Ravens Regular-Season Superlatives
With the regular season in the books, The Baltimore Banner's Giana Han and Jonas Shaffer handed out superlatives for the Ravens. Here are some excerpts:
Best moment: Tylan Wallace's game-winning TD vs. the Rams
"When Ravens training camp wrapped up, the reserve wide receiver didn't know whether he was a lock for the team's 53-man roster. When top returner Devin Duvernay left the Week 14 game against Los Angeles with a back injury, Wallace stepped in despite never having returned a punt in an NFL game. And when Wallace got the opportunity to set the Ravens up for a potentially game-winning drive, he went the distance himself. Wallace's walk-off 76-yard return, now known as the 'Ty-Breaker,' sent M&T Bank Stadium into hysterics and handed the Ravens a 37-31 win."
Best play: Kyle Hamilton's interception vs. the 49ers
"How do you recover after getting knocked to the ground on a chop block from Christian McCaffrey and then pancaked by guard Aaron Banks? Well, Hamilton didn't just recover before the play was over. He got off the ground and made a play, snagging the ball after cornerback Marlon Humphrey tipped quarterback Brock Purdy's pass."
Best free-agent signing: Jadeveon Clowney
"Clowney was a latecomer to training camp, but he made an impact early in the season. After the Ravens started the year with a slew of injuries at outside linebacker, their pass rush and run defense barely missed a step — thanks, in large part, to Clowney. Once more help arrived, Clowney remained an important contributor. And in Saturday's loss to the Steelers, he got to celebrate a $750,000 incentive that was well earned after he reached a career-high 9.5 sacks."
Most impressive individual stat: Another 'perfect' five-TD game for Jackson
"On Sept. 8, 2019, Jackson led the Ravens to a 59-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. He went 17-for-20 with five touchdown passes and no interceptions, finishing with a perfect passer rating. Last week, on Dec. 31, Jackson led the Ravens to a 56-19 win over the Dolphins. He went 18-for-21 with five touchdown passes and no interceptions, finishing with a perfect passer rating. By doing so, he became the second quarterback ever to have two career games with five or more touchdown passes and a perfect passer rating. The first was the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger."
Pundits Says Ravens Aren't Losing Again This Season
NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha revealed what he likes and dislikes about every playoff team and predicted how far each will go. Here's what he said about the Ravens:
What to like
"The Ravens claimed the title of the league's best team with their stellar play over the past month. They mailed in the regular-season finale by resting key starters in Saturday's loss to Pittsburgh, but the previous two weeks cemented them as favorites to make this year's Super Bowl. They blew out Miami by 37 points. They went into San Francisco and beat a dominant 49ers team by 14. Baltimore also has the likely Most Valuable Player (quarterback Lamar Jackson is in position to take that award for the second time in his career) leading the best offense he's ever had around him, a defense that was the stingiest in the league and excellent special teams. Baltimore exploded on the rest of the NFL in the second half of the season. It now has its best chance to win a championship since Jackson arrived in 2018."
What not to like
"Recent playoff history. The only reason anybody would question the Ravens is their lack of postseason success lately. They held the No. 1 seed in 2019 — back when Jackson won his first MVP award — and promptly suffered a painful upset to Tennessee in the divisional round. Baltimore also has only one playoff win with Jackson, and it's hard to forget how injuries compromised him and this team at the end of the last two seasons. I get it — every year is different. The Ravens had better hope that is indeed the case once they finish their first-round bye and start playing again in a couple weeks."
Playoff projection
"This isn't the same Ravens team that fell apart in that loss to the Titans in January of 2020. Jackson is a much better passer and the weapons around him are far more dangerous. They'll capitalize on home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and then beat whomever the NFC offers up in the Super Bowl. This team isn't losing again this season."
